An afternoon chat with... Amrutha

[Vesa]

Our newest instalment in this series is with Amrutha, an Account Manager (and previously Research Officer) at HealthUnlocked.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Madras in south India. Yes, the same as the checks and the curry powder but the city is best known for the second-longest beach in the world, the many temples and the filter coffee.

Coffee or tea?

South Indian filter coffee in the AM (of course) and a builder’s brew in the PM.

When did you join HealthUnlocked?

I moved to London in October 2015 and joined HealthUnlocked as a Researcher in November 2015. Could not have timed it better.

How did you get into healthcare research?

I studied biological sciences since high school but my recent Masters in Public Health helped me focus on population health. And what better start to a career in this space, than evaluating the impact of a digital health innovation that brings people together to share their experiences of living with various health concerns?

What's your favourite thing about (working for) HealthUnlocked?

Where do I begin?

The many projects I work on mean new opportunities for collaboration with universities globally and with patient charities and large healthcare organisations.

My work answers questions and builds better products and features that will eventually help make our peer support network better for our users.

The people I work with make coming to work a joy

Monday breakfasts at HealthUnlocked!

What's something you've done at HealthUnlocked that you're proud of?

Leading the first-of-its-kind evaluation study to understand the impact HealthUnlocked has on its users. This made a strong case for including our digital innovation as a crucial part of the healthcare process for people around the world.

Additionally, publishing my first paper as lead author to showcase all the great projects we have done at HealthUnlocked, will always be special.

What's your favourite hobby?

Never did I think this would happen but recreating traditional Indian food that I grew up eating in my grandmother’s home is what I enjoy doing on weekends! I equally enjoy picnics in the park, watching my husband play cricket in the London league, while I catch up on my reading list.

What's the hardest part of your job?

Working on time-consuming, rigorous scientific analysis with an urgent need for quick results is demanding, although now it’s keeping my clients happy. As a company, we have set high standards for ourselves. Ensuring that the work we deliver is maintained to that level requires consistent effort from each of us.

What's one thing that you've learned from being at HealthUnlocked?

It doesn’t take an army to fight for a good cause and every small effort can add up to make a huge change.

Working in an office need not mean you leave all the fun and joy outside.

Learning is a lifelong process. You are never really done.

It is vital to have good people to work with. Makes working a pleasurable task, instead of a chore.